The M1 NerfBot: When Prototypes Evolve

What do you get when you cross a self-taught maker with an enthusiasm for all things Nerf? A mobile nerf gun platform capable of 15 darts per second. Obviously.

The M1 NerfBot built by [GrimSkippy] — posting in the ‘Let’s Make Robots’ community — is meant to be a constantly updating prototype as he progresses in his education. That being the case, the progress is evident; featuring two cameras — a webcam on the turret’s barrel, and another facing forward on the chassis, a trio of ultrasonic sensors, controlled by an Xbox 360 controller, and streaming video to a webpage hosted on the M1 itself, this is no mere beginner project.

Perhaps most compelling is how the M1 tracks its targets. The cameras send their feeds to the aforementioned webpage and — with a little reorganization — [GrimSkippy] accesses the the streams on an FPV headset-mounted smartphone. As he looks about, gyroscopic data from the phone is sent back to the M1, translating head movement into both turret and chassis cam movement. Check it out!

Two relays control the Nerf gun’s firing mechanism, firing in semi-auto, three, and five-round bursts. Those ultrasonic sensors cause the controller to rumble when within six inches of an object, and cause the M1 to stop outright when within two inches.

7 thoughts on “The M1 NerfBot: When Prototypes Evolve”

it really needs a orange marker on the barrel. unless you can fully gaurentee its being tested where nobody else willl see it. its not worth the risk of someone assumes ng its a real gun and the shit storm that follows.